Basing machine with improved lead-cutting device



A ril 22, 1958 A. P. MEIER ETAL 2,831,406

BASING MACHINE WITH IMPROVED LEAD-CUTTING DEVICE F iled May 20, 1954 s Sheets-Sheet 1 II rovwme sme wme cu'nmc,

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INVENTOR5 ARTHUR v. mum,

17% WALTER .).LYT e.

April 22, 1958 A, P MEIER ETAL BASING MACHINE WITH IMPROVED LEAD-CUTTING DEVICE Filed May 20, 1954 s Sheets-Sheet 2' INVENTORS mzmux R mam,

J. LYTLE.

y WALTER C [flue/1 April 22, 1958 A MElER ETAL 2,831,406

BASING MACHINE WITH IMPROVED LEAD-CUTTING DEVICE Filed May 20, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 -u-IL INVENTORS ARTHUR V. NUT-X BY WALTER J. uue

E ite tates BASING MACHENE WITH IMPROVED LEAD-CUTTING DEVICE Application May 20, 1954, Serial No. 431,034

Claims. (Cl. 9015.1)

This invention relates to basing machines for incandescent electric lamps and, more particularly, to one with an improved device for cutting off the side lead wires where they extend beyond the bases of such lamps.

An object of our invention, generally considered, is to cut the side lead wires of incandescent electric lamps in such a way that a good sized area of clean metal, adapted to hold soldering material, is provided.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan of a machine embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the lines II-II of Figs. 1 and 3, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a plan of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view, with parts in section on the line IVIV of Figure 3, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4, but showing the parts in the position when the projecting portion of the side lead wire is being detached from the lamp.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view on the line VIVI of Fig. 2, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view corresponding to Fig. 4, but to a larger scale and with a part broken away to more clearly show the operation.

In basing machines, prior to that of the present invention, the side wires of incandescent electric lamps, particularly those of the miniature type, are cut off after assembly of the bulb with the base, about 1% to 2 mm. from the base. The wire stubs are then pushed against the base with a preliminary and final pushing device, after which they are soldered in a conventional manner. A problem is thus presented and that is to cover the wire stubs with solder. This is difficult because of the borated coating on the wires. Solder repairs are consequently a serious problem.

In accordance with our invention, the side wire is cut off close to the base, with the exposure of a relatively large area of clean metal to which tin dust may be applied for soldering. The new joint is better mechanically and electrically and has a much neater appearance. If the assembled bulb and base, as received, do not have the side wire disposed above the bulb, or beyond the line between the bulb and its base toward the base then a positioning device is required so as to move said wire so that it projects diagonally away from the bulb toward the base. The lead-wire cutter has a concave cutting surface with also rolls the wire toward the center of the base should it be ofi center when loaded in the basing head. This facilitates a more uniform and neater soldering operation.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the numeral 11 (Figs. 1 and 3) designates a rotatable indexing table or turret. The movement of the table is effected in any desired manner, as by means of a motor 12. The motor drives a shaft 13 (Fig. 1), as 'by means of a chain or atent tat belt 14 passing over a sprocket wheel or pulley 15 on the motor shaft and a wheel or pulley 16 on the shaft 13. The shaft 13 is journalled in suitable bearings in the frame of the machine and its other end carries means for driving the cam shaft 17. Such drive means may be a spiral gear 18 (Fig. 1) on its end meshing with a complementary spiral gear 19 fixed on the shaft 17, or other suitable gearing between shafts whose axes are non-intersecting and non-parallel.

The shaft 17 carries an indexing drivewheel or cam 21 which may have a track sequentially meshing therewith or receiving rollers of a series (not shown) extending from the bottom of the turret 11 and providing a drive which may be similar to that of the drive for the machine of the Green Patent No. 2,569,852, dated Oct. 2, 1951.

In other words, the rollers (not shown) may correspond with those designated 113 in Fig. 7 of the Green drawings, and the cam 21 may correspond with that designated 114 in said Figure 7 of the Green drawings.

The turret 11 has a series of, in this instance forty eight, vertically-reciprocating lamp holders (Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5 hollow as indicated at 23, each presenting an upwardly-opening pocket or concave surface to support the bulb of a lamp, and if desired connected as by means of flexible tubes (not shown) to a source of vacuum. Lamps 24 placed thereon with their bases 25 uppermost, as shown in Fig. 4, may be held by the suction created against the bulbs 26 nesting in the pockets 20. The lamp holders 22 have stems 27 (Fig. 2) slidable in brackets 28, mounted on the turret 11 and disposed in uppermost position, indicated in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, to hold the supported lamps 24 against top plate 29, supported above the turret 11, as by means of the pedestals 31 (Fig. 2) projecting from the brackets 28.

Reciprocation of the lamp holders 22 is effected by a stationary cam (not shown) engaging a roller 32 mounted on a pin 33 projecting outwardly from the lower end of each stem 27, and slidable in an outwardly-opening slot in bracket 28 (not shown). Upon release by the cam, each lamp support 22 moves to upper lamp-supporting position, by action of its return spring 34 (Fig. 2), to hold the lamp 24 in place even without any suction.

SIDE LEAD WIRE CUTTING DEVICE The side lead-wire cutting device 35, most clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, is basically a rotary cutter or commercial burr which is continuously driven during operation of the machine. A motor-driven right angle drill head or drill assembly 36 (Fig. 3) and flexible shaft mounted on a dovetail slide 37 of a drill head positioning mechanism,

as shown in Fig. 6, serves for operating the cutting device 35. The slide 37 has a stop bolt 38 (Fig. 2), held in ad justed position by means of a lock nut 39 and engaging a gibbed guiding support 43 (Figs. 2 and 6). Said slide 37 has a split clamp 42 (Fig. 3) for holding the drill assembly 36 in position thereon.

The'slide 37 (Fig. 6) is mounted on the gibbed guiding support 43 which can be closely adjusted for height by a wedge 44 moved to desired position by means of a knurled wheel 45. The wheel 45 (Figs. 3 and 6)is mounted on an adjusting screw 46 and prevented from axial movement by means of a keeper 47. The inner end of the screw 46 is connected to the outer end of the wedge 44 as by means of a pin 48 (Fig. 6). The keeper 47 is connected to the base member 41, as by means of tap bolts 49. After adjustment to the desired height, bolts 50 are tightened to hold the guiding support 43, the wedge 44, and the base member 41 firmly on a supporting casting 60.

CUTTER RECIPROCATING MEANS .As the means for moving the cutter to and from I lamps 24 as they are indexed at a station, which in this instance is numbered 27, a drive cam 51 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) is provided on shaft 17. This cam 51 engages a-roller 52- (Fig. 2) onone end of an angular actuating lever 53, mounted on shaft 54, and biased into engagementwith said cam-Slby me ans of a spring 55. The other end of the lever 53 is pivoted to the lower end of a connecting rod 56, as indicated at 7 (Fig. 2). The upper end of the connecting rod 56, illustrated as adjustable, is pivoted, as indicated at 53, to the lower arm 59 of bell crank lever 6i.

The lever 61 (Fig. 2) is mounted on a pivot 62 carried by a bracket or arm 83' projecting outwardly from the support 43. The upper arm 64 of the bell crank lever 61- isslotted; as-indicated at 65, and receives a pin '66conn'e ting it tothedovetail slide 37 (Figs. 2, 3 and 6) Thus; as each lamp 24 is indexed at station 27, the cutter 35 is'brought into engagement with a side wire 81- whereit emerges from between the base 25 and bulb 26 to cut itolf flush at that point.

LAMP BRAClNG MEMBER ln order to brace the ramp during the lead wire cutting operation, we'provide for each lamp holder at stop member 67 (Figs. 3, 4 and 5) having a head 68, the outer face of which-is curved as indicated at 69, to provide for anesting of an indexed lamp base 25 therein. Each stop member 6'7 is reciprocable in one of the pedestalsSl upstanding from the turret it, and normally held in retractedposition by means of a spring 72. The spring 72' engages a collar '73 held in adjusted position on the member 6"! by means of a set screw 74. As the lamp is moved to indexing position at station 27, the stop member 6'7 is moved to engagement with the base 25 thereof by means of stationary cam 75 (Figs. 3 and 5);, carried by abracket 76. Said bracket is adjustably mounted on the inner support ring 77, or other convenient frame portion of the machine, as by means of bolts 78': (Fig. 3-);

Operation From the foregoing disclosure, it will be seen that the operation of basing lamps 24 in accordance with. our invention is to load said lamps 24 at one of the stations 43 through 3,'while the lamp holders 22 are in lowered position, by operation of the mentioned cooperating stationary cam (not shown) on their rollers 32. These lamps 24 are as illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 7, for example. Each consists of a cemerwcontaining base 25 positioned over the neck portion of a bulb 26, and with a center lead 79 projecting upwardly through a top or holding plate 29, and a side lead 81 projecting diagonally upward or toward the base (Fig. 4-). The lamps may be assembled prior to placing on the machine in any desired'manner, as by hand, or as described and claimed'in the McGowan application, Ser. No. 144,425, filed Feb. 16, 1950.

As the lamps are moved from station to station they are, at stations 4 through 21 subjected to the action of heat which sets the cement and assures a firm adherence between the base 25 and the bulb 26, While said base 25 and bulb 26 are held together by the parts illustrated in Fig. 4. At stations 22 to 24, the lamps are allowed to cool. At station 25; the top or center lead is cut off flush, by any desired means which may be conventional.

At station 27, the side lead is cut-off by operation of the cam 51 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) moving the continuously rotating cutter 35 to cutting position with respect thereto, while said lamp 24 is steadied by a simultaneous movcmcnt'of the stop or bracing member 67 to holding pisition at the opposite side thereof. From Fig. 7 it will be seen that the cutter 35 not. only removes the excess length of wire, but flattens and sharpens the end portiono'f thelead 81, thereby exposing a good sized area of clean metal adapted to hold soldering material, while pressing it against the' outer surface of the base 25, in position for proper soldering. Each lamp 24- then passes on to station 28 (Fig. l) Where the side wire is fluxed, station 29 where the top wire is fluxed, station 30 where the side wire is soldered, and finally to station 32 where the top wire is soldered. Each lamp 24 then passes on through stations 33 to 38 inclusive. At station 39 each is flashed as a test, and at station 40 unloaded from the machine.

i tlthough a preferred embodiment has been disclosed, it will be understood that modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A machine for uniting bases to bulbs of incandescent electric lamps comprising a frame, a turret rotatable on said frame, a series of lamp receiving heads on said turret equally spaced therearound and adapted to secure therein a lamp having a base positioned on the bulb thereof, a lamp bracing member normally in a retracted position and movable in a pedestal upstanding from said turret to engage and brace a lamp secured in one of said heads during a side lead wire cutting operation, means on said frame for reciprocating said lamp bracing member in said pedestal, a continuously rotating device on said frame for flattening, sharpening and pressing. a side lead wire against the outer sur face of a base of said secured and braced lamp while cutting off the excess length of wire and exposing a good sized area of clean metal adapted to hold soldering material and means on said frame for reciprocating said device on said frame to and away from a lamp as it is indexed at the side lead wire cutting station.

2..A-machine for uniting bases to bulbs of incandescent electric lamps comprising a frame, a turret rotatable on said frame, a series of lamp receiving heads on said turret equally spaced therearound and adapted to secure therein a lamp having a base positioned on the bulb thereof, a lamp bracing member normally in a retracted position and movable in a pedestal upstanding from said turret to engage and brace a lamp secured in one of said heads during a side lead wire cutting operation, said bracing member comprising a headed stop member for nesting engagement with a base of an'indeXed lamp, and slidable in said pedestal, a collar on said stop member and resilient means about said stop member and between said collar and said pedestal for normally holding said stop member in the retracted position away from the lamp processing position, means on said frame for reciprocating said lamp bracing member in said pedestal, a continuously rotating device on said frame for flattening, sharpening and pressing a side lead wire against the outer surface of a base of said secured and braced lamp while cutting off the excess length of" wire and exposing a good sized area of clean metal adapted to hold soldering material, and means on said frame for reciprocating said device on said frame to and away from a lamp as it is indexed at the sid'elead wire cutting station.

3. A machine for uniting bases to bulbs ofincandescent electric lamps comprising a frame, a turret rotatable on said frame, a series of lamp receiving heads on said turret equally spaced therearound, a lamp bracing member reciprocable'on-a pedestal upstanding from said turret for bracing a lamp secured in on'e of saidheads during aside lead wire cutting operation, means on said frame for reciprocating said lamp bracing member in said pedestal, a continuously rotating device on said frame for flattening, sharpening and pressing a side lead wire against the outer surface of a base of said'secured and braced lamp'while cutting off the excess length ofwire and exposing a good sized area QfClean metal' adapted to hold soldering material, said device comprising a dr-ill head positioning mechanism on said-framwa motor driven drillheadon said positioning mechanism and a rotary cutter on said drill head and means on said frame for reciprocating said device on said frame to and away from a lamp as it is indexed at the side lead wire cutting station.

4. A machine for uniting bases to bulbs of incandescent electric lamps comprising a frame, a turret rotatable on said frame, a series of lamp receiving heads on said turret equally spaced therearound, a lamp bracing member reciprocable on a pedestal upstanding from said turret for bracing a lamp secured in one of said heads during a side lead wire cutting operation, means on said frame for reciprocating said lamp bracing member in said pedestal, a continuously rotating device on said frame for flattening, sharpening and pressing a side lead wire against the outer surface of a base of said secured and braced lamp while cutting off the excess length of wire and exposing a good sized area of clean metal adapted to hold soldering material, said device comprising a drill head positioning mechanism on said frame, a motor driven drill head on said positioning mechanism and a rotary cutter on said drill head, said drill head positioning member comprising a base member on said frame, a wedge on said base, a keeper connected to the side of said base, a screw secured to one end of said wedge and projecting outwardly through said keeper, a wheel threaded on said screw and confined by said keeper against axial movement, a gibbed guiding support on said wedge and a slide for carrying said drill head on said support and means on said frame for reciproeating said device on said frame to and away from a lamp as it is indexed at the side lead wire cutting station.

5. A machine for uniting bases to bulbs of incandescent electric lamps comprising a frame, a turret rotatable on said frame, a series of lamp receiving heads on said turret equally spaced therearonnd, a lamp bracing member reciprocable on a pedestal upstanding from said turret for bracing a lamp secured in one of said heads during a side lead wire cutting operation, means on said frame for reciprocating said lamp bracing member in said pedestal, a continuously rotating device on said frame for flattening, sharpening and pressing a side lead wire against the outer surface of a base of said secured and braced lamp while cutting off the excess length of wire and exposing a good sized area of clean metal adapted to hold soldering material and means on said frame for reciprocating said device on said frame to and away from a lamp as it is indexed at the side lead wire cutting station and comprising a bell crank lever having its upper arm pivoted to said device, a connecting rod pivoted to the other end of said lever, an angular actuating lever pivoted to the other end of said connecting rod, a cam, a roller on the other end of said actuating lever, and resilient means biasing said roller into engagement with said cam.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 323,175 Marsh July 28, 1885 1,708,756 Fagan et al. Apr. 9, 1929 2,069,386 Palucki Feb. 2, 1937 2,120,877 Uber June 14, 1938 2,358,584 Mizzy Sept. 19, 1944 2,361,091 Edelmann et al. Oct. 24, 1944 2,497,170 Hite Feb. 14, 1950 2,546,504 Head Mar. 27, 1951 2,695,479 Indge Nov. 30, 1954 2,767,675 McGowan Oct. 23, 1956 

